~Breathing Angel Style~

By: Aerys Krytie.

oOo

While the others scrubbed the hardwood floors with toothbrushes, Jackson sat in the kitchen with Vincent. He wasn't sure how much Vincent knew about his past three years, but he wasn't going to forward any information with the others in earshot. He wasn't that stupid. He had been a werewolf for a few months and he knew what their hearing was like.

"What was it like teaching Derek?" Jackson asked as he ran a finger around the rim of his cup. He knew it was a stupid question, but he was genuinely curious.

"A lot easier than teaching you. He didn't complain when I told him to stare a bowl of water for five hours." Vincent smirked and sipped his tea, sitting back in his chair. He glanced at the floor. "You need to do the kitchen, as well," he shouted at the others. His grin became evil when they groaned. He lost it and gazed at Jackson seriously. "When do you plan on telling Derek?"

Jackson lowered his eyes, gazing at his chamomile tea. "I don't plan on doing it. I'm sure he moved on when I left and found someone he thought was good enough." He shrugged. That subject was not a good one for him, especially not when the others were actively trying to pretend as though they weren't listening. "Do you think I should tell him?"

Vincent leaned towards Jackson and touched the bruises on his throat. He sighed and pulled his hand back, finishing his tea. "You two are still denying the other. I'm almost tempted to lock the pair of you in a room until you fuck or make love or whatever you want to call it. At some point, I think you will need to tell him."

Jackson shook his head. "We're slowly getting there." He tapped his index finger against his mug and frowned when he noticed the burn on it. He looked at the stick that was still stuck in the wall. "Do you know what could enchant a stick with a prayer to Gaia?"

Vincent frowned and followed Jackson's gaze. He stood up and went over to the stick, sniffing along it and eventually pulling it out of the wall. "Were you poisoned by this?"

Jackson shook his head. "I was poisoned, but it was from a bite of someone that was poisoned by a stick." He closed his eyes, realizing just how stupid that sounded. It wasn't a dart; it was a stick. He opened his eyes, watching Vincent intently. "Why do you ask?"

"This is from a jarrah tree, which is fatal to wolf-shifters. Have there been any new shifters hanging around, with a scent that you didn't recognize?"

"What's a jarrah tree?" Vincent glared at him and Jackson sighed, closing his eyes and thinking back to the past few months before the attack. He and the pack were moving from place to place, but he couldn't remember seeing anyone that wasn't part of his pack. Then again, he was spending a lot of time trying to court Sierra. "Not that I can remember," he finally admitted. "I was a little distracted at the time, though."

"Trying so hard to forget about Derek Hale." Vincent shook his head and dropped the stick on the table. He stared at it for a while, before his eyes finally returned to Jackson. "Jarrah is a type of eucalyptus tree native to Western Australia. I find it strange that a xylomancer wouldn't be an Australian shifter of some kind."

"A what?" Jackson and the others asked. Jackson glanced at the entrance to the kitchen and realized that the scrubbing sounds had stopped.

Vincent leaned back and growled at the wolves. They got back to scrubbing and Vincent returned his attention to Jackson. "A xylomancer is basically a hippy with magical powers. The prayer is a diversion. Underneath it you can see the Aborigine script that is the actual enchantment."

Jackson sighed and closed his eyes. Of course, it would be on a wood that was fatal to wolf-shifters and he wouldn't be able to touch it without causing serious harm to himself. He opened his eyes and gazed at Vincent, trying to understand what he was saying. He honestly had no idea how many different shifters there were. From what he saw in the warehouse last year, he could guess there were lions, bears, tigers, panthers, jaguars and he was almost certain there was an eagle in there.

However, he wasn't that well versed on the animals of Australia. He knew they had kangaroos and koalas and that was about it. He also knew that nearly everything that lived on that rock could kill them. Oh yeah, he knew about the Sydney funnel web spider that could still kill an adult in twenty minutes. He shuddered at the thought of finding one of them randomly. He knew that was off topic, but just about everything on the land, in the sea and in the air was out to kill the people of Australia. He had no idea how they survived.

"I can bring in a friend to help out. He's an Aussie and it might take a while to get used to him. He speaks in a lot of slang and is basically a bogan." Vincent looked apologetic about and Jackson raised an eyebrow.

"What the hell is a bogan?"

Vincent pursed his lips and scratched his neck. Jackson knew he was seriously trying to find of explaining what a bogan was. "It's – Well, it's one of those things that makes sense when you see it. I guess the American equivalent would be hillbilly."

Jackson's eyes widened as he stared at Vincent. The dragon was deadly serious about the explanation. Jackson had no idea if he should laugh or cry. "You're getting me an Australian hillbilly?" he repeated, still staring at Vincent and hoping for the dragon to laugh and say it was some kind of twisted joke. "Don't the Australian hillbillies wrestle crocodiles? I've seen them, by the way. They put our alligators to shame."

Vincent offered a smile, but his face fell. "Look, I'm going to give you three warnings when it comes to him. He's a smoker. He's a boozer. He will try to have sex with you if you stand still too long. He's a great guy and shifter, but he has a few quirks that get old…really fast."

"And you're dumping him off with me and Scott's pack? How the hell are we supposed to control someone like that? In case you haven't noticed, most of us are still teenagers. Not in age, but mentality. Some of us are emotionally stunted. I speak mostly of Derek, who will probably try to kill this shifter if he so much as sneezes in his general direction." Jackson shook his head and sighed. "When is he getting here?"

Vincent smiled apologetically. "He came in with me. I think he's taking a piss outside. He did down twenty-four cans of beer."

Jackson got to his feet and left through the backdoor, so he didn't mess up the area that Scott and the others had cleaned. He went around to the front of the house and stared at the man was pissing onto a tree, a can of beer in his hand. The man looked over at Jackson and winked, downing the last of his beer. The can disappeared and the man shook back his sandy red hair, which shimmered blue and gold in the moonlight.

"Who are you?"

"Kalgoorlie," the man answered and Jackson frowned. "Most people call me Kal, though."

Jackson raised an eyebrow. "And you're here to help us with the xylomancer?" He ran his eyes over the petite frame of the man. "You really don't look like much."

Kal finished the longest piss known to anyone and tucked himself away. He turned around, doing up the zipper on his jeans. "I just marked your territory. I also happen to be immune to eucalyptus. One of the many perks of being born in the shithole known as Western Australia."

Jackson followed him to the front of the house, where he kicked off his shoes. He walked past the others as though they weren't there and Jackson couldn't believe his arrogance. Kal paused before disappearing into the kitchen and told the others they missed a spot by the stairs. Jackson walked around Scott and the pack, standing at the entrance to the kitchen.

"As flash as a rat with a good tooth," Kal said as he washed his hands at the sink. He sat in a chair and picked up the stick. "Yeah, totally. The wolves are gonna have fun with this." He spun it around on the table, gazing at Vincent. "I'mma be stuck with these yuppies, aren't I?"

"That's part of the price you pay for disobeying the Prince, Kal. You really should've just shouted."

Kal rearranged his junk and stood, heading for the basement. Jackson frowned and followed him, curious about this unknown shifter. Kal's eyes were green, but Jackson knew he was using his magic to keep them that color. He went down to the basement, watching as Kal grabbed a book without needing a guide around the shelves. He turned to Jackson and grinned, running his eyes over him.

"You're actually quite pretty, especially with that coloring. Pity you belong to the earth wolf that's on his hands and knees, scrubbing a floor. How'd you manage to get out of it, princess?"

Jackson snarled at the nickname and advanced on the unknown. His eyes widened as Kal's eyes flashed gold and sand wrapped around his throat, pulling him down to the ground. The unknown walked up to him and gazed down at him indifferently, his eyes swirling between blue and gold. Jackson clawed at the sand, trying to get it away from his throat.

"Look, I'm only gonna be around until you get rid of the xylomancer. Until then, I don't give a damn what your names are. You're prettier than the girls out there, so your name is Princess. I'm older and have more wisdom than you do, kid. You won't win against me."

Jackson gasped and nodded his understanding. The sand disappeared and he coughed, rolling to the side and looking up at Kal. "What are you?"

"I'm a shifter, mate. Where have you been?" Kal grinned and jogged upstairs.

Jackson stayed on the floor for a moment, catching his breath. He shook his head and decided it didn't matter what animal Kal was, as long as he helped them as much as he could, everything should end well. He made his way upstairs, rubbing his throat. There were grains of sand embedded in his pores, which he was wiping off as he walked past Scott and the pack. They growled at him and Jackson paused, glancing back at them. He offered an apologetic smile, which didn't go down well.

He sighed and went upstairs, shaking his head. He took his time in the shower, moaning softly as the hot water ran down his back and rinsed out the wound there. He raised his head, staring at the tiles in front of him. The xylomancer sounded entirely made up. To be honest, he never bothered to study the supernatural as he thought they were stories. He had heard of shape-shifters before, but he never thought he would become one. He had heard about werewolves, vampires, fairies, Santa Claus and the tooth fairy; elves, pixies and leprechauns. He had heard about a lot, but how many of them existed?

If Tsuki was a demon, were there angels? He turned off the shower before he used all the hot water, but he stayed in for a while. If griffons and dragons were a thing, what other mythical beasts were out there? Would they have to fight a Minotaur at some stage? He really hoped that they wouldn't have. They needed to bring in help for a xylomancer, which was hunting him. Jackson frowned at the drain between his feet. What did he do in order to be hunted by that thing?

He got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around himself. He got to the stairs and rolled his eyes. He was a bloody wolf-shifter. He ran his hand over his shoulder and was dried and dressed. He went down stairs, knocking shoulders with Scott and ran into the kitchen. He stared at the table and all the beer cans that were on it, two high already. He glanced at Kal and decided that the Australian was worse than the Irish. He shook his head and decided to work on the alcoholic later.

"This xylomancer thing is hunting me. Why?"

"Cocky little shit, innit he?" Kal asked and drained another can of beer.

"Oh, drink yourself into a coma, you pathetic excuse for a shifter," Jackson snapped and bit his tongue. He closed his eyes and pursed his lips. "Sorry. But I think you can understand. I'm being hunted by something that sounds completely made up. I honestly thought a xylomancer was… Actually, I don't know what I thought."

"I thought it was a necromancer that brought dead xylophones back to life," Stiles called and Jackson choked back laughter. That made a lot sense, actually.

"Look, Princess ––"

"My name is Jackson."

Kal glared at him. "Look, Princess, what do hippies represent, aside from drugs, bad hygiene, terrible fashion sense and horrible haircuts?"

Jackson raised an eyebrow. He didn't even think of half of those when he thought about hippies. "Aren't they meant to be about love and peace, as well?"

"Yup." Kal cracked another can and Jackson rolled his eyes. "What, did you need me to spell it out for you?" He turned his eyes to Vincent. "You told me they were young. You said nothing about them being as thick as six bricks. I want to be paid for this shit."

Vincent let out a short whistle. The pack appeared in the kitchen. "You can go to bed. But I expect that floor spotless by tomorrow night. I had better be able to eat my dinner off it. Get."

As the others trudged off upstairs, Jackson glanced at Kal when he shivered. "Are you seriously cold? It's like seventy degrees tonight."

"Yeah, that's sixteen degrees lower than what I'm used to. I don't know how you can complain about the heat. You wouldn't survive a week in a West Australian winter. Okay, to be fair, not many West Aussies survive during the winter, either." Kal shivered again.

"That – doesn't even make any sense." Jackson shook his head. "So, did you want to explain why I'm being hunted by this xylomancer?"

Kal said nothing as he grabbed Jackson's hand and rubbed his thumb over the burn. Jackson tilted his head as the burn went up in purple smoke. He frowned and gazed at Kal. The unknown shifter's eyes swirled between blue and gold, dancing with a smirk as he finished his beer and started on the third layer of cans on the table. Jackson shook his head and decided he wasn't going to get any answers from. Kal didn't seem ready to spell anything out and Vincent rarely gave out answers.

Jackson thanked him and headed upstairs. He waved a hand over his body, replacing his clothing with a pair of black boxers and crawled into bed. He glanced at his left hand, staring at the smooth skin. He was curious about Kal and what kind of shifter he was. Jackson had no idea what a kangaroo or koala smelled like, so he could only guess at what was living with them now. He closed his eyes, pushing it to the side and deciding to think about in the daylight.

oOo

With a moan, Jackson rolled over and nuzzled into the warm chest that was on offer. He smiled and was ready to fall asleep again, until he remembered that he had gone to be alone last night. He opened his eyes and stared at Derek's sleeping face. He heard Scott walk up to the door and bang on it, telling both of them to get up and get ready for breakfast.

Derek frowned slightly and opened his eyes. Jackson continued to stare at him, wanting to pull away. He blinked and looked around. He had gone to Derek's bed again. He sighed and sat up, running his hands through his hair. He was almost certain he would have some kind of memory of wandering around in the night. He threw back the covers and went to the bathroom, emptying his bladder and turning on the shower. He knew it wouldn't make any difference; everyone could smell Derek on him.

He showered quickly and dressed in his running gear. He ran downstairs and out the door, pausing to stretch. He heard Vincent shouting his name, but he ignored the dragon. He started on his course, pushing himself harder than he probably should. He was tired of not understanding what was happening to him. He lived in his body, for the love of god! He should know what it wanted.

It wanted Derek, which would explain why he kept sneaking into the earth wolf's bed. Derek obviously wanted him there, as well. It was the only reason Jackson could think of as to why Derek never returned him to his own bed and why he allowed it to happen two nights in a row. He sighed and increased his pace, pushing those thoughts to the back of his head. Derek wanted nothing to do with him and only let Jackson stay in his bed so he could embarrass him about it.

He ran through the clearing that was usually his turn around point and continued further into the woods. He skidded to a stop when the scent of blood hit him. He frowned and followed his nose to the east. His eyes widened when he saw a body there. It was male and he recognized the method of death. While the throat had been ripped out, the veins were frozen. It was the same method he had used on the witch leader three years ago.

Swallowing, Jackson backed away from it, heart pounding in his chest. That was the second body to look as though it was mauled by an animal in as many days. He turned away from the body and ran back to the house, ignoring everyone that he passed. He raised his mental shields and locked his bedroom door, sitting in a corner and trying desperately to remember what he had done. It wasn't like him to have blank spots in his memory. His subconscious picked up everything. It was the best perk of being a wolf-shifter.

He ignored Vincent pounding on his door and asked to be left alone. The dragon sighed and told him to eat something soon. Jackson agreed that he would, as he knew that would get Vincent to leave him alone. Scott said that he had been in the bed with him for an hour before he went to Derek's room. Did he slip out the window of Derek's room, before he crawled into bed with the shifter?

Jackson got to his feet and slipped out the window. He needed to talk to someone before anything bad happened again. He paused as he heard police sirens blaring near the body he found. He kept his heart calm and found Stiles sitting on the steps at the front. He was writing something in his bestiary and Jackson stood in front of him. The human looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"I need you to come with me. I need your help."

Stiles frowned and closed the book. He stood and pulled out his car keys. "Where are we headed?"

"Do you know where Mark Doyle has set up his herb shop?" Jackson knew it was a stupid question, but he was hoping Stiles would think it had something to do with the xylomancer.

"Sure do. Did you find out something about the xylomancer?" Stiles asked as they headed towards his jeep.

Jackson kept his eyes lowered. "I figured there was no harm in talking to him about it. Maybe he's come across something like it before. I mean, he did have a dullahan problem."

Stiles unlocked the car and Jackson slipped into the passenger seat, buckling the seatbelt. "Yeah, I looked that up. It is basically a death fairy, but it's a bringer of death. Did you know it's impossible to kill something that brings death? I think Death is the only one that could do that. I get the feeling that Tsuki knows Death personally. How cool would it be to meet Death? Death!"

Jackson smiled and shook his head. He forgot how excited Stiles got about the smallest things. He wasn't all that interested in meeting Death, since he would probably discover that his number was up. He settled back in the seat, half-listening to what Stiles was saying about a dullahan. He then moved onto complaining about how Tsuki didn't give him any details about how to kill one.

Stiles then went on to say how he would love to spend a day inside of Tsuki's mind and learn everything the demon knew about all the supernatural creatures out there. Jackson stared at the human as he ranted about how it was Tsuki that told them about the white ash of a maple could kill a doppelganger. It was strange to see Stiles so enamored by someone and the knowledge they held. Stiles was by no means stupid. He was their walking encyclopedia on how to kill anything that goes bump in the night.

Still, Jackson knew that Stiles would benefit a great deal from just an hour in Tsuki's head. The internet didn't hold much information when it came to some supernatural creatures and Tsuki had the advantage of going up against some of them, which was a good thing. He would know how to kill them, quickly and quietly as well. He was giving serious consideration in asking Tsuki to let Stiles into his head for a little bit. Though, Tsuki would probably have some repercussions for letting a human into his head. One of them would likely be that Stiles wouldn't remember anything when he came back out. Until then, they would have to play nicely with others.

Mark's shop was located near the center of the town. The shop had two bay windows on either side of the door, which had a brass bell attached to it. Stiles entered and called out there were paying customers. Jackson grinned and walked up and down the shelves, raising an eyebrow at the jars. The wall on the right was filled with self-serving bins that carried the most common spices one could find, as well as some that Jackson couldn't even pronounce.

Mark came out from the back room and grinned at Jackson. "Never thought I'd see you again!"

Jackson shrugged. "Honestly didn't think I'd be back," he answered honestly, ignoring the shocked glare from Stiles. "What do you know about a xylomancer?"

Mark raised an eyebrow and the grin dropped from his face. "You're joking, right? There's one of those in town?" He shook his head and leaned on the counter. "They're magical hippies and they're usually drawn to serious unhappiness in someone's love life. I can see that your mate still hasn't claimed you."

Jackson rolled his eyes. He was getting tired of that. "He's not my mate. And how did you know?"

"You're releasing that pheromone that attracts alphas. It will only stop when you're claimed by someone. The same goes for him." Mark inclined his head towards Stiles. "Both of you need to be claimed by someone that can protect you."

Stiles blushed and decided to look at the items that were in jars on the counter. Jackson stared directly at Mark. "Right," he drawled. "Anyway, how can we kill a xylomancer?"

"You don't kill them. You just appease them and they move on." Mark crouched down and stood up a moment later with a large tome in his hands. He dropped it on the counter and opened it, flipping through the pages that look a month away from crumbling at a touch. He stopped and turned the book around. "You need to let love into your life. I'm guessing that it's targeting you and your not-mate."

Jackson looked at the words. "This is in Gaelic. I can't read that!"

Mark chuckled. "With that snappy response, I'd say I'm right about who is being targeted. What happened when the first attack came?"

Jackson lowered his eyes and clenched his jaw. He didn't want to explain what happened in front of Stiles, as he knew the human would think him insane. He finally sighed and raised his head, glaring at Stiles. "You don't repeat this to anyone. Not to Scott, Isaac, Malia, Liam – different Liam – Derek or Kal. No one," he stressed and waited until Stiles nodded. "I was about to take a mate when the first attack came."

Mark closed the book and pushed it to the side. "That would do it. You were so unhappy that you unwillingly summoned a xylomancer to make sure it didn't happen."

Jackson stared at Mark, mouth parted at the accusation he was the one to bring this about. He shook his head. No. He had been happy with Sierra. She was beautiful, intelligent and witty. She could dominate him and her scent was similar to Derek's. He closed his eyes and sighed, unable to believe he just needed to tell Derek that he loved him and it would all end. He got the feeling that he was in a Disney movie, if Disney had a gay edition.

"You were about to take a mate? Someone would take you, even though you smell of Derek?" Stiles inquired quietly, trying to keep it a secret. "Are you insane? Do you have any idea how broody Derek got when you left, without a word to any of us, by the way? He nearly died as he pined for you. He pined!"

Jackson flinched and lowered his eyes. He allowed Stiles to spin him around and punch him. Jackson rubbed his jaw, surprised at how much power Stiles had. He stared at the human. Stiles was breathing heavily and looked ready to deliver another punch when the bell on the door jingled. Instead, Stiles shook his head and walked to an aisle and glared at the jars on the shelves.

"That was kind of a dick move," Mark said softly and glanced at the other customer. "Excuse me a moment. Can I help you with something, dear?"

The woman looked up and smiled. "I was looking for black cinnamon and blue ginger. I was told to come here for them."

Mark stepped around the counter and helped the woman find what she was looking for. Jackson's eyes flickered over to the book. He touched the leather cover and sighed, moving to the side when Mark and the woman came to the counter. He glanced at her and nodded when she beamed at him. She paid and left. Mark repeated his previous statement about Jackson making a dick move.

"Too late to apologize for it now," Jackson muttered and glanced over his shoulder. Stiles hadn't heard and was still looking at the jars. "I need to know if you have silver handcuffs etched with Corinthian spells."

Mark frowned and leaned forward, lowering his voice. "That's oddly specific, especially for the spell work. Why Corinthian spells?"

"I know they work. Do you have them or not?"

"Silver handcuffs are hard to come by. I think I know someone that can do custom orders. She happens to be a Wiccan as well, so I'm sure she can find someone to do the spells. There's a preorder fee of fifty bucks."

Jackson produced a credit card and paid for the cuffs. He thanked Mark and left the store, assuming that he wasn't welcomed into Stiles' jeep ever again. That thought changed when the human ran after him, slammed a hand on his shoulder and dragged him back to the car. Jackson slipped into the passenger seat and stared out the window as they made their way back to the house.

The drive took longer. Jackson finally sighed and glared at Stiles. "Look, he's the one that kept saying we weren't mates. Why is everyone pissed off at me for moving on?"

Stiles didn't answer until they were in the woods. He stopped the car and looked at Jackson. "We're more pissed off that you left without saying a thing to us. You literally just ran off. You didn't howl that you were joining a pack of wolf-shifters and none of us heard so much as a growl from you in three years." He shook his head. "Derek had only just accepted the fact that you weren't coming back when you came back. Literally the night before, he decided he could live without you in his life. He's going to be livid when he finds out that you wanted to mate with someone else."

Jackson tilted his head back, forcing back tears. "Why does everyone take his side? No one seems to give a shit that he abandoned me emotionally when I needed him the most."

"There was no excuse for that, I agree. But he was turning into a wolf-shifter when you left. He could have used your support for that." Stiles flinched at the glare Jackson sent his way.

"I was also alone when I became a wolf-shifter." Jackson closed his eyes and swallowed his anger and bitterness, locking it away. "Don't tell him that I was going to mate with someone else. He needs to hear it from me. It won't make it hurt any less, but it is still better that he hears it from me."

"When do you plan on telling him? You can't keep something like this from him, y'know."

"I'm aware. There's something else I need to worry about for the moment. Telling him about my mate won't do anything to appease the xylomancer." Jackson looked out the window. "I am sorry that I left without saying anything. I really didn't think there was anything left for me here."

Jackson could sense the hurt from Stiles. "We were here. We lost Erica and Boyd and then we lost you. We knew you were running from something." A hand was placed on Jackson's shoulder. "What were you running from, Jackson?"

Swallowing his sorrow and pain, Jackson shrugged. "Can't say I really remember. It was three years ago, after all." He wasn't about to admit that he was running from a mate that didn't want him. That would just make him look like the bad guy again.

Stiles pulled his hand back and nodded. He put the jeep into gear and headed back to the house. Jackson stayed outside, walking around the front yard. He saw his blood from the fight he had with Derek. His eyes were drawn to movement in the trees. He frowned and moved towards it, trying to figure out what had moved. He got to the general area and looked around.

"Are you looking for something?" Scott asked as he stood beside a tree behind Jackson. The shifter shook his head. "Why are you out here, then?" Jackson shrugged and he could hear Scott frown. "Kal has left. Said he wasn't needed anymore, unless you or Derek is attacked by the eucalyptus stick."

Jackson nodded. "Thanks," he said quietly, still scanning the trees.

"What's wrong, man?" Scott asked as he turned Jackson around. "Stiles wasn't in the best of moods when he came back, either. Did something happen? Where you did you even go?"

Jackson blinked and shook his head. "We visited Mark Doyle to see if he knew anything about the xylomancer. He told us what needed to be done. I figured that Kal would hang around until we appeased the hippy, but he clearly has more faith in us than I do."

Scott studied Jackson's eyes and the shifter quickly looked down. He didn't need the alpha seeing that something was wrong with him. That would mean more questions and Jackson was ready to reveal any more of his past. He knew he could trust Stiles not to say anything, but that same courteously couldn't be extended to Scott, as he would use it as a means to claim the shifter that was secreting a damn pheromone.

Jackson could already feel his body reacting to Scott and he stepped back. He headed for the house and climbed up to his window. He slipped inside and realized that he had gone out in his running gear. He changed it to jeans and a hoodie and left his room. He went down to the basement where Derek's scent led him. He paused when he saw that Isaac was down there, as well. The werewolf grinned and waved. Jackson offered him a mirthless smile and took his place at the desk he had claimed.

Isaac tried talking to him, but Jackson just shook his head. He wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone that wasn't Derek. Even then, he was forcing himself to do it. He had no idea how Derek was going to react to what Mark said, if he even believed it. Derek wasn't known for his trusting nature, which Jackson had probably broken even more when he left. Isaac finally got the vibe that he wasn't wanted and slinked out of the basement, closing the door.

Jackson stood and turned to Derek, raising his eyes slowly. Derek frowned and stood. "So what did you learn that has you locking away your emotions again?"

"I was told that we have to let love into our life." He sighed and rested against the desk, shoulders slumping. "I was also the one that summoned it," he admitted, rubbing his arms.

"How did you do that?"

"I was unhappy with my love life and the xylomancer picked up on that. It wiped out my pack and forced me back to the one place where I was happy." Jackson raised an eyebrow. That was actually a really good reason for a xylomancer to be around. He felt the shell around his emotions crack and disappear. He raised his head and smiled sadly at Derek. "Unfortunately, it sent me back to the one person that doesn't want me."

"I never said that, Jackson. You vanished while my body was undergoing the change. You said nothing to anyone when you took off. You didn't even send us a text or an email to let us know that you're okay."

"Do you even know how to use email?"

Derek rolled his eyes. "Not the point, Jackson. You abandoned us. You abandoned me." He advanced three steps and Jackson tried to move through the desk.

"I'm not your mate, remember?" Jackson shot back defensively, glaring at Derek.

"I'm your alpha! You don't leave your alpha for another."

"Isn't that what Isaac did?"

"Isaac needed a werewolf alpha. He got that in Scott." Derek invaded Jackson's personal space and raised his hand to his head. Jackson flinched away from the touch. That didn't deter Derek. He placed his hand on Jackson's head and pulled it against his chest. "You wear my claim like a mark. I know you can heal those scars, but you don't want to. You want everyone to know who you belong to."

Jackson breathed heavily. Derek pushed his head back and Jackson glared at him. "I have always and will continue to want to be your mate! You're the one that keeps denying it and then you act like it's my fault!" He angrily wiped at his eyes, really wishing that he could stop crying over the little things in life.

Derek stepped back, gazing at Jackson with indifference. That stung. "For someone that wants to be my mate, you have a strange way of showing it. You left me and then you come back. You crawl into my bed, stinking of blood and try to tell me that you're a vegetarian."

Fear shot through Jackson. He stopped breathing as his body trembled at the revelation that he was responsible for the deaths. He heard Derek saying his name, but he collapsed to the floor, curling into himself. He watched as Derek's feet were pushed to the side and someone crouched in front of him. He looked up at Vincent and saw the concern deep in the dragon's eyes.

Jackson wrapped his arms around Vincent's neck. He couldn't bring himself to cry, but he couldn't fight off the terror that had him shaking like a leaf in the dragon's arms. He raised his eyes to Derek's and saw how the earth wolf stared at him. Jackson swallowed and he closed his eyes, accepting the comfort from Vincent as he was picked up and taken to his bedroom. He knew that Derek was following them, wanting to know what was happening.

"What did I do to them?" he whispered as Vincent sat on the bed and held him close. "Have I become the kanima, again?"

Vincent stroked his hair and kissed the side of his head. "No, you're not the kanima again. But you weren't in control when you murdered them."

End Chapter III.

Thanks for reading! I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day. I know I did. (If you haven't seen Deadpool yet, go and see it right now!)

Until the next one!

Peace.

Auska.